It's 30 minutes from tip on the game clock and Indiana players are currently stretching on the half of the floor that will be in front of the Huskies bench. They are in their maroon shooting jerseys and candy-striper pants.

Lots of intrigue and compelling storylines in this one, but chiefly it’s the need for UConn to get a quality win on its resume before rejoining the fray of the bruising Big East. To say that UConn’s season is teetering might be an exaggeration. But it has elements of truth to it.

Indiana, meanwhile, under first-year coach, Kelvin Sampson, has reeled off four straight, eight of nine and is looking like an upper echelon Big Ten team.

. . . This is Hang Time’s third trip to the Civic Center this season and we still can’t get over the Purple People Ushers here at the HCC. The entire usher crew wears some prominent article of clothing in the Barney purple color.

. . . Consider this the warm-up to the New England Patriots vs. Indianpolis Colts AFC Championship game which kicks off on CBS Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and has basically gripped New England in the throes of playoff fever.

. . .UConn leads the all-time series, 4-2. Saturday afternoon marks the third consecutive season the teams have met. Last season, IU fell to the top ranked Huskies, 88-80, in Bloomington on Feb. 4, 2006.

. . . The Indiana-Connecticut game will be televised nationally on CSTV.com’s Big Daddy, CBS, with Gus Johnson on play-by-play and Clark Kellogg providing alaysis. Great pairing, that is. You’ll want to turn up the sound and continue to follow along with Hang Time.